Neonatal intensive care is a ward at St. Mary’s Hospital that takes care of very young, premature babies. These are babies who are born before the 32nd week of pregnancy or weigh less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces.
The NICU at St. Mary’s is the highest level of NICU in Florida. Level 3 NICUs provide a full range of respiratory support and have available subspecialists including neonatologists and staff and equipment to provide life support as long as necessary.
Neonatal intensive care provides them with medical treatment to help the premature babies survive and grow. The ward has a nursery where the babies can be kept in an incubator which is heated and air conditioned to suit their needs. There is also equipment such as monitors and ventilators so the staff can keep an eye on their progress.
Studies indicate significantly higher survival rates for very low birthweight babies born in hospitals offering Level III Neonatal Intensive Care.
As the largest NICU in Palm Beach County, St. Mary’s offers a comprehensive team of pediatric subspecialists, and has dedicated lactation consultants who specialize in teaching mothers and their newborns how to form a successful breastfeeding routine.
When babies arrive early or require medical or surgical treatment at birth, the highly skilled doctors, nurses and technicians at our NICU have immediate access to advanced technology and can begin specialized care right away.
Through the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, your baby will have direct access to the numerous pediatric sub-specialties our dedicated children’s hospital provides.
That’s why more expectant mothers choose St. Mary’s over any other hospital in Palm Beach County.
Mom & Baby Recovery
If you are at a high risk or not, it is extremely comforting to know that the highest level of care is right there if you need it, where you and your new baby can stay close and get to know each other.
At St. Mary’s, new mothers and babies stay close to each other so critical bonding can occur. The NICU is right next to The Birthplace and new moms are encouraged to visit and interact with their babies as soon as they are able to.
When mom and baby are ready, our staff will help strengthen the connection through holding, skin-to-skin “Kangaroo Care,” feeding, diaper changes and more.
How to Deliver at St. Mary’s?
Ask your obstetrician to deliver your baby at The Birthplace at St. Mary’s Medical Center, where you’ll enjoy the comfort of beautiful surroundings and the peace of mind that comes with immediate access to the highest level of neonatal care available if necessary.
NICU & PICU Transport Team
When a child’s life possibly hangs in the balance, there is no time to lose. Palm Beach Children’s Hospital provides transport services for critically ill neonatal and pediatric patients who need the intensive care or other specialized capabilities only a pediatric hospital offers.
The Critical Care Transport Team at St. Mary’s provides resuscitation, stabilization and inter-facility transfer of patients ranging from neonates to teenagers requiring care and treatment for a variety of medical and surgical diagnoses. These can include trauma and prematurity.
The team is composed of nurses and respiratory therapists who have expertise in pediatric and/or neonatal intensive care, pediatric emergency nursing, trauma and critical care transport. In a transport situation, the referring facility speaks directly with our transfer center nurse to arrange the details of the transfer.
Our team communicates directly with physicians at St. Mary’s to discuss management and patient disposition. Depending on the nature of the case, physicians who specialize in pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric intensive care or neonatal intensive care will consult on the case during transport.